T H E I N D E P E N D E N T D A I LY AT D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y
The Chronicle
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2012
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTH YEAR, ISSUE 21
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
Crack Summit Michelle: Vote for Barack clears the haze on addiction by Jack Mercola and Danielle Muoio THE CHRONICLE
What Duke students know or think they know about crack cocaine is probably false. Crack—cocaine cooked with baking soda and water and often smoked—may not be the most popular drug on campus, but its widespread use in the South encouraged health experts, social workers and members of the community to attend Duke’s first Crack Summit Wednesday, hosted by the Duke University School of Nursing and the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition. People with firsthand experience with the drug— including leading researchers, a former Chicago police officer and a recovering addict—discussed the stigma attached to crack users and how to address widespread usage. Debunking commonly accepted knowledge about the highly addictive substance, the summit highlighted the importance of increased research and open-mindedness toward addicts. The common conception that crack cocaine is a cheap drug used primarily by young, black males is false, said keynote speaker Samuel MacMaster, associate professor at the University of Tennessee College of Social Work. “We are creating a separation that doesn’t really exist,” he said. “And that separation allows us to judge people, to
SEE CRACK ON PAGE 10
NICOLE SAVAGE/ THE CHRONICLE
First lady Michelle Obama visited North Carolina Central University Wednesday to speak to students about the importance of voting in the upcoming presidential election. by Hanan Awel THE CHRONICLE
First lady Michelle Obama brought her husband’s campaign to the Bull City, drawing cheers from supporters waving posters with slogan “Forward.” Obama visited North Carolina Central University in order to urge the audience to line up at the polls for President Barack Obama to secure his spot in the White House. She emphasized that students who are currently
Chapel reopens to public this Friday from Staff Reports
CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO
not registered need to make sure they do so in order to continue their support for the president. More than 3,000 supporters and students attended the event. “[The election] could mean just one vote in your neighborhood—just one more person,” she said. “One single vote in your apartment building, in your dorm room—one. Keep that in your head.”
RECESS
Bad Plus returns to Duke after residency
THE CHRONICLE
by Megan Rise
The Duke Chapel will reopen Friday with the conclusion of the ceiling’s inspection. The Chapel closed Sept. 10 after a small portion of the ceiling fell in mid-July. The ceiling’s structure— particularly where the sliver fell—was inspected and stabilized. The project was completed by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc., a Chicago-based structural engineering firm. The firm is doing similar work at the Washington National Cathedral and the Washington Monument. “This group is the best of the best for this kind of job, and they’ve shown
THE CHRONICLE
Following a ceiling inspection, the Duke Chapel will reopen to the public this Friday.
SEE CHAPEL ON PAGE 3
It’s not often that a university can bring in an established group like The Bad Plus to work with its graduate students. But, that’s exactly what Duke, helped by a grant from the Council for the Arts, was able to do. The Bad Plus, composed of bassist Reid Anderson, pianist Ethan Iverson and drummer Dave King, are known widely for their mix of jazz, pop-music covers and experimental music. Unlike most residencies, The Bad Plus’, which started in fall 2010, included sessions where they performed and recorded music written by Duke graduate students in Music Composition. The Bad Plus also used their residency to premiere ‘On Sacred Ground: Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring,’ a work that Duke Performances commis-
ONTHERECORD
Scouting Memphis, Duke football’s opponent Sat., Page 5
SEE OBAMA ON PAGE 4
“There’s nothing like constantly writing about heartbreak that gives you this enormous sense of appreciation about love” —Author Junot Diaz on his new book. See interview Recess page 4
sioned and developed. Before the recording sessions, students had prepared full-fledged compositions, often with little room for improvisation. But when the students met with The Bad Plus, the trio wanted more flexibility with the pieces. The group ended up using the students’ compositions as a jumping-off point, picking and choosing from the material to make pieces that were truly collaborative. For Kenneth David Stewart, one of the graduate students, the experience was an exhilarating challenge. He likened writing for The Bad Plus to “creating a framework for them to improvise within.” Another composer, Dan Ruccia, described the sessions as a way for him to “get the ideas from my head to their SEE BAD PLUS ON RECESS PAGE 6
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Why to interpret your dreams, Page 2
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